Jesus Christ & The Gospel
Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ, which means "the anointed one," who came to pay the price for our sins and reconcile us back to God.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ came into this world. He is fully God and fully human. He lived a perfect sinless life. He willingly gave up his life on a cross to take our punishment for our sins against God. He was crucified and died a horrible death on a cross. But, on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death. He now sits at the right hand of God, and will come back one day to judge the living and the dead.
What is the Gospel?
The word "Gospel" means "good news." And it really is!
With all of the bad news in the world, listen to this! The good news is that God loves you so much that he made a way for you to be brought into a right relationship with him through his Son Jesus Christ. Let’s take a look at what this means.
The Bible says that “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23) and our sin separates us from God. The Bible also says, “…there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12). There is also nothing you can do to earn God’s forgiveness.
Let’s be honest. Are you a good person? Have you ever lied, stolen, used God’s name in vain, or looked with lust? Jesus said that anyone who looks at another person lustfully has already committed adultery in his or her heart (Matthew 5:28). If you have done these things, God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, and adulterer at heart. If God judged you according to his laws, commandments, and standards, would you be innocent or guilty? Heaven or hell? If you’re honest, you would be guilty–just like the rest of us! As a result, you have sinned against a Holy God and will be eternally separated from him forever.
But, here’s the good news!
God does “…not [want] anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Two thousand years ago God sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, who died on a cross to take the punishment of the sin of the world. You and I broke God’s law, but Jesus came and paid our fine. That’s what happened on the cross.
Imagine you’re in court and someone pays your fine, the judge can legally let you go. Just before Jesus died, he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). In other words, the fine had been paid. God can now legally dismiss your case, let you go, forgive your sins, remove your death sentence, and let you live forever because Jesus paid your fine on your behalf. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and defeated death.
What you have to do is repent, that is, turn away from your sins, and put your faith and trust in Jesus. The moment you do this, God will forgive your sins and give you everlasting life as a free gift. Not only that, but he will give you a new heart with new desires to love and follow him. You will become a new creation in Jesus Christ and he will give you the Holy Spirit to live within you to change you and make you more like Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
(Adapted from Living Waters Ministry)
What do I have to do to receive eternal life?
In summary:
All have sinned
You must recognize that you have sinned against a Holy, perfect, righteous, just, and loving God, and are eternally separated from him.
The Bible says :
"...there is no one who does good, not even one."
(Romans 3:12)
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..."
(Romans 3:23)
"For the wages of sin is death..."
(Romans 6:23)
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."
(1 John 1:8)
"If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."
(1 John 1:10)
Jesus Christ died for your sins
Two thousand years ago, Jesus was crucified and died on a cross for your sins. You broke God's law, Jesus paid your fine.
The Bible says:
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
(Romans 5:8)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
(John 3:16)
"...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
(Hebrews 9:22)
Salvation is a free gift from God
You cannot earn your way to heaven. You cannot rely on your own goodness to save you. Your good deeds cannot outweigh your bad deeds.
The Bible says:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
(Ephesians 2:8)
"...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 6:23)
Repent and put your faith and trust in Jesus and follow him.
By repenting, that is, turning away from your sins, and putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, God will grant you eternal life and give you a new heart with new desires to follow him.
The Bible says:
God "...commands all people everywhere to repent."
(Acts 17:30)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
(1 John 1:9)
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
(Ezekiel 36:26–27)